


Sing for Absolution

by lumiinary



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound
Genre: Anger, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Talking, mentions of porky and giygas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 12:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20390080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumiinary/pseuds/lumiinary
Summary: “What do you mean? Of course I still love you.” It didn’t sound right for Ness to say. Hell, it didn’t sound like Ness at all. He was usually open when it came to discussing his feelings, but not in such a way.“Even with all the bad things I’ve done?” Ness faced her, solemnity creeping into his voice, as well as his expression.





	Sing for Absolution

**Author's Note:**

> i feel nervous posting this, but i've always wanted to post a nesspaula fic on here, so i hope you enjoy! next time i write for this pairing, i promise it'll be less angsty, sorry about that.

“Sometimes I wonder how you still love me,” Ness said somberly.

They were at Paula’s house, sitting on her couch and watching time slip through their fingers. Ness was sitting comfortably on Paula’s lap, and that statement caught her off-guard. She shot up for a moment, eyes widening in concern.

“What do you mean? Of course I still love you.” It didn’t sound right for Ness to say. Hell, it didn’t sound like Ness _ at all _. He was usually open when it came to discussing his feelings, but not in such a way. 

“Even with all the bad things I’ve done?” Ness faced her, solemnity creeping into his voice, as well as his expression.

Paula couldn’t comprehend as to _ why _he was saying these things, so she continued to assure him to her best efforts. “You didn’t do anything bad, Ness. I’m sure of it.”

Ness stood up, his body stiff and firm. “After I’ve killed countless beings in my wake? How I’ve ignored Pokey _ so much _ to the point where he joined the dark side and _ duped _ outta this dimension? I couldn’t even _ save _Giygas, with how much he was begging me to.”

“It was for the sake of the world, Ness,” Paula said, trying her best to keep calm, “There was nothing we could do, at least in Giygas’s case.

“We coulda done something if we wanted to!” Ness shouted, though his voice lowered as he added, “Sometimes I wonder if I’m the cause of the suffering of people around me.”

Paula couldn’t help but think to herself _ “No!” _ To think that Ness would even bestow these thoughts, that he would blame _ himself _for all the misfortune and corruption of the world, even if he wasn’t directly involved. 

As she saw him with his arms crossed, eyes welling up with tears, she knew she had to do _ something _ . So she grabbed ahold of his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye, and in a moment of word association, she told him, “You’re not the cause of _ my _ suffering! Or Jeff’s, or Poo’s, or anybody in Eagleland. And you’re _ definitely _not the cause of everyone else’s in the world, so quit thinking that!” She was running out of breath as she spoke. “You just did what you had to.”

Ness’s body loosened as he sunk into Paula’s arms. He looked at her in disbelief. “And if I wasn’t…?”

“I know you more than anyone, and I know _ full well _that you would never do something like that. You know right from wrong, despite your… rather questionable actions.” She thought back to the time where they followed that mysterious lady in Threed. She wanted to laugh as she recalled the memory, but now was not the time to be doing so.

Ness averted his eyes, a small smile crossing his face. It was subtle, but it was still there. “I… guess you’re right. I’m sorry for worryin’ you, I dunno what came over me. I know you don’t like it when you don’t know what’s going on.”

“You know you can vent to me anytime, right? We are in a relationship, after all. Don’t act like we aren’t just because Jeff and Poo don’t know yet.” She hoped that Ness trusted her enough to vent out his feelings in the first place, and judging from what just happened, she assumed he did.

Ness’s forehead touched hers for a brief moment, gazing into her eyes. “Mhm.”

“That’s good,” Paula said relievingly, kissing him on the cheek.

Ness returned the gesture, glad that he was her, that he was in the moment. Despite how hard it was to get over the negative feelings he harbored over the years about himself, he was pleased that Paula was able to help him, whenever he needed it. 

**Author's Note:**

> i apologize for the muse reference in the title as well as the john mulaney reference by the end, if you caught that. also thanks to my friend who beta read this, if you're reading this, you're amazing!


End file.
